Chapter 50: Soon-to-Be Mine

In the dim underground chamber, filled with creepy tools of torture...

The room felt sinister, with rusty gadgets and sharp objects lining the walls.

At the end of the chamber, Killua hung from chains, his wrists and feet tightly bound.

He glanced around, looking bored and a bit annoyed. 

"Where's Milluki off to now?"

Killua muttered to himself, his voice echoing softly in the eerie silence.

He'd felt a shake in the chamber earlier, and then suddenly, his brother had practically run off and left him alone in this creepy place.

As minutes ticked by, Killua's impatience grew.

He shifted his weight, eyeing the chains that held him with a sense of frustration.

Should he try to break free?

It seemed like his only option as Milluki showed no signs of returning anytime soon.

His punishment was not yet over, and Milluki still needed to whip him a few hundred times more. 

"Enough waiting around," Killua muttered.

He knew what needed to be done.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Killua tightened his fist, the chain binding his wrist giving way with surprising ease.

CLANG!

The metallic clang of the broken restraint echoed in the chamber.

As one of his hands was now free, Killua swung his other arm forward.

The force of his movement shattered the remaining chain with a satisfying crack.

And with no more binding his upper body, his figure descended to the ground with a swift motion as he regained his footing.

"Hmm..."

Looking down at his chained ankles, Killua just casually stomped his foot.

CLANG!

This shattered the chains around his ankles as the sound of breaking metal echoed through the chamber.

"Urghh... That feels good..."

He stretched his body, a satisfying crack resonating through the air as he let out a satisfied sigh.

"Now, time to drag Milluki back to the chamber..."

He decided to find Milluki and get this punishment over with as quickly as possible.

With an annoyed stride, he moved towards the exit, his determination driving him forward.

With the room behind him, Killua set off through the underground tunnel, his footsteps echoing in the darkness.

At the guard post outside the estate, Gon and the others waited anxiously, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement.

"Hmm?

Suddenly, they saw familiar figures coming out, and relief washed over them.

"Raymond!"

Gon said happily, running up to his friend.

Kurapika and Leorio joined him, looking worried but glad to see Raymond.

As they gathered around Raymond, Kurapika couldn't help but notice the dried blood on the corner of his mouth.

"What happened, Raymond?"

"Oh, nothing much," he replied casually.

"Just had a little chat with the Zoldyck Family, that's all."

His words hung in the air, leaving Gon and the others stunned. 

Everyone looked at Raymond, surprised and curious.

It seemed like Raymond had faced something serious, but things seemed alright.

"..."

Leorio furrowed his brow. He was skeptical as he shook his head.

He recalled every time they met, Raymond seemed to end in chaos – fights, destruction, or both.

"...I highly doubt that," Leorio muttered loud enough for Gon and Kurapika to hear. 

They looked at each other and exchanged wry smiles.

On the side, Zebro observed Raymond with a mixture of shock and confusion.

How was it possible that this troublemaker was still standing before them?

His confusion deepened when he noticed Raymond's torn blazer in Sakujiro's hand, a clear sign of conflict between them and the Zoldyck family.

Unable to fully comprehend the situation, Zebro tentatively spoke up, "Um... Have you finished your business here, esteemed guest?"

"Actually..."

Raymond grinned at the kids and continued, "I wish I could stay longer, but my business here is over, and I have some important stuff to do."

"And Gon, I'm sorry I made you wait to meet Killua."

He turned to Gon and handed him a fancy black card with "Celestia Consortium" written in gold.

Raymond handed it to Gon with a serious expression, "Consider this my way of making it up to you."

"What's this, Raymond?"

Gon accepted the card, examining it with curiosity. 

He was puzzled by the heavy card with shiny letters since he had never seen one quite like this.

"It's a special card. You can use it to enjoy free services from any companies under the Celestia Consortium for free," Raymond explained.

Kurapika's eyes widened, "You... Raymond, who are you really?"

"Me?"

Raymond chuckled, making his way towards the waiting car where Sakujiro held the door open for him.

"I'm just someone who happens to own the company."

"Anyway, it's been nice meeting you all. Take care," Raymond called out with a wave as he stepped into the car.

"...!"

Kurapika's jaw dropped in shock as Raymond's voice faded away with the sound of the car driving off.

"Kurapika, do you know about the card or something?"

Leorio was puzzled as he scratched his head while looking at the card in Gon's hand that didn't look noticeable besides the gold name of the company.

"...You have no idea," Kurapika slowly responded as he was still a bit shaken.

As the car descended the mountain, Raymond gazed pensively out the window, tapping his finger rhythmically on the armrest.

The encounter with the Zoldyck family had left a strong impression on him.

"I underestimated them," he admitted to himself quietly.

"I thought our forces were enough to wipe them all at once, but I was wrong."

Despite his confidence, Raymond knew engaging in a battle with the Zoldycks would be disastrous for both sides regardless of the outcome unless a weapon of mass destruction was used.

He shook his head before looking at the rear mirror as he noticed Sakujiro had been constantly stealing glances at him.

"You got a question?"

Raymond asked, turning his attention to Sakujiro.

Sakujiro hesitated before admitting, "Yes, Master. I'm still puzzled why you always go to such lengths to avoid conflict with the Hunter Association."

"First of all, if I do it this way, I can make sure they won't take on any job related to us."

Raymond leaned back, his eyes narrowing in thought. 

"...How can you be so sure of that?"

Raymond shook his head, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside, "That old man understands my language and is quite cooperative. He knows what to do..."

"As for the association..."

A sly smirk crept across Raymond's face, sending a shiver down Sakujiro's spine, "Why would I want to harm something that will eventually become mine?"

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